President’s Letter

Finally, it behooves all of us to maintain a sense of modesty about the deliberateness of our choices, as the French Renaissance essayist Michel de Montaigne expressed forcefully in his famous essay “On the Art of Discussion”: “[Even] our wisdom and deliberation for the most part follow the lead of chance. My will and my reasoning are stirred this way and that.”

There can be no doubt that serendipity plays a role in your choices, as it certainly has in mine throughout my life. Let me restate Montaigne’s point more positively by quoting the poet Goethe: “We derive great benefit from lively and frank associations with educated people. A nod, a word, a warning, encouragement, timely opposition are often capable of changing our lives.”

Stanford deliberately provides students with curriculum and academic programs, and with lively and frank association with educated people. If all of this is in place, chance and choice can do their work. As somebody said to me the other day: “Chance favors the prepared mind only.” ST

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